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“This will be different,” he said. “But I’ll be with you. We can make it quick.”
She sucked in a breath, wishing she hadn’t eaten breakfast at all. “Okay. Let me brush my teeth, and I’ll be ready.”
Wynn nodded. “I’ll grab the keys and be right back.”
The funeral home was a low building with minimal landscaping and a white cross on top. The place might have been a pizza chain at one time.
It wasn’t what Felicity would have chosen, but Uncle Larry had told the authorities to bring his brother’s body here, so that was that.
Felicity didn’t want to get out of the car. “I don’t want to cry again,” she said, her hands twisting in her lap.
Wynn leaned toward her, rubbed his thumb over her cheek and kissed her. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
The funeral home director was professional, but pleasant. He led them to a small anteroom, indicated the casket with a wave of his hand and departed, giving them privacy.
Felicity gripped Wynn’s hand as they walked across the ugly burgundy carpet. Seeing her father resolved some of her anxiety. Her stomach settled. “It looks like he’s sleeping,” she said, feeling a rush of relief.
“Yeah.” Wynn sighed. “I’m sorry, Fliss. He loved you very much.”
“He did his best, I think. I always knew he could have sent me to live with someone else when my mom abandoned us, but he didn’t.”
They didn’t stay long. Five minutes tops. It was a relief to get back out into the hallway. The only thing left was to deal with the logistics of transporting the body to Falcon’s Notch.
Wynn touched Felicity’s hand. “Will you let me handle this?”
She looked up at him, seeing the concern in his gaze. “Thank you,” she said. “I’d appreciate that.”
They were done before eleven thirty. Outside, Felicity sucked in a deep breath of clean air. “This was the worst part, I think. Maybe the service won’t be so bad.”
Wynn nodded. “You ready for lunch? I thought we could pick up something and eat it in the car. There’s a pretty lake nearby.”
“Sounds good. But what about Missy?”
“She’s going to order room service again. I have my credit card on file.”
They ended up driving through a fast-food restaurant and ordering burgers and milkshakes and fries. Now that the first hurdle was over, Felicity was hungry. She had barely eaten any breakfast because her stomach had been in knots.
Wynn parked the car at an overlook and lowered the windows. They were the only people at this spot, but the lake was dotted with sailboats and other watercraft.
Wynn put the big order of fries between them to share. They ate in silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Felicity studied him. In his crisp blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, no one could mistake him for anything other than a man who was accustomed to being the boss. His broad shoulders and air of command were part of who he was, not to mention his physical appeal.
“Did you like your time in the military?” she asked.
He snagged a fry. “I did. My life growing up had so little structure. In the navy, I was part of something larger than me. The opportunities were there...for the guys and gals who wanted to take them. I worked hard, and it paid off.”
“Do you think you’ll want more children one day?”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s a hard segue.” He chuckled.
“Sorry. My brain is all over the map today. But the question stands.”
“I doubt it.” He stared out the window. “I’m getting older, and my life is full.”
Inexplicable disappointment settled in her stomach. His answer meant he was serious about his aversion to long-lasting relationships.
Felicity wanted a family. So far, she hadn’t met a man she could visualize as the father of her theoretical children. But maybe he was out there somewhere.
“Shouldn’t we get back?” she said.
